Wounds
by ivylei-67
Summary: Harry gets expelled from school and finds himself alone at Privet Drive with little hope. But all is not as it seems and Harry is given a second chance... but at what cost? This is Wounds of the Heart completely redone.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters except for OCs. It's FANfiction for Christ sakes.

A/N: Ok, so I'm back from the dead and totally redoing this whole story. The main plot and storyline will mostly be the same, but I'm changing and fixing a whole bunch of stuff. Like, for example, the romance factor -- it's gone. Just friends now. The falling-in-love thing didn't realy have much to contribute to the story and, honestly, kinda cheesey. I'll leave Wounds of the Heart where it's at and if anyone wants to adopt that story, feel free. This version is going to start a little farther back than the other, give more background information, and hopefully make a lot more sense. Like I said, the key elements of the other story are still going to be here, but better.

And thank you to kobez for being a wonderful beta and setting my mind back to this story. If it wasn't for him, this would not exist and I'd still be feeling that nagging guilt that comes with leaving a story (even one I didn't really like anymore) alone for so long.

Updates will not be as frequent: that sort of comes with the territory of putting out longer, more thought out chapters. Hopefully I haven't scared/pissed off too many of the previous readers with my abandonment of the other story and radically different re-write. It had to be done.

Anyway, on with the story. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 1: Homecoming and Home-leaving

Kings Cross was a hive of activity, frantic parents tending to their children as business people talked into cell phones and juggled briefcases and coffee cups in the sort of organized chaos that could be found in any busy train station. No one noticed the lanky boy with the dark mop of hair stepping straight through the solid pillar between platforms nine and ten, straining to pull along a large trunk and the birdcage balanced precariously atop it. The snowy owl occupying the cage seemed completely oblivious to the commotion around it and the dangerous fall that was surely only one sudden jostle away, preferring to tuck its large head beneath a fluffy white wing and attempt sleep.

A large man with a bristling mustache and a ruddy complexion furiously, and with as little movement as possible, waved the sullen boy over, beady eyes darting about the train station as he tried to appear discreet.

"What took you so long, boy? I've been standing here for nearly twenty minutes!" he hissed, his face taking on an even more pronounced resemblance to a walrus as his cheeks bloomed a fiery crimson. He wobbled around on his heel and lumbered towards the exit as the boy finally got the trunk dragged over to him.

Harry, miserable as he was and knowing the futility of any attempt to change his uncle's unbelievably low opinion of him, chose not to answer. The fact that he would have to live with his hated aunt and uncle for a full two -- no three -- more years wriggled and squirmed in the back of his mind like a parasite. With any luck, voldemort would find and kill him soon -- preferably before he went mad. After all, Dumbledore had gone Merlin-knows-where after the whole fiasco with Umbridge and the DA, and the Ministry still blatantly refused to see the writing on the wall, even after the many disappearances of wizards and muggles alike and the mass breakout from Azkaban.

Harry finally stepped out of the train station and into the open air. Through the driving rain he could just make out the pristine form of Uncle Vernon's company car across the parking lot. He gave a final sigh and gathered his strength before pulling his trunk towards his destination, a task made all the more difficult because, not only did his shoes keep slipping on the rain-slicked pavement and his thin muggle jacket proved to be as good as nonexistent for all the protection it offered, but he simply didn't want to go with his uncle. Perhaps he would be able to find one of the Order members and talk with them about going back to Grimmauld Place with Sirius, assuming he could even find them now that his magic had been taken away.

The rain, coming down in sheets now, matted his normally unruly hair to his forehead as he pushed it wearily out of his eyes and hauled his trunk into the boot of Uncle Vernon's car. His uncle was already comfortably seated inside as Harry made his way around the back of the car and slumped into the passenger's seat.

"So," Uncle Vernon began as he peeled away from the curb, "the freaks have finally kicked you out, have they? Forced you on us for the rest of the year too, eh? Well I'll tell you now, we'd better be getting some sort of compensation for this, boy, because I will not stand..." The rest of his words were lost in a ferocious crack of thunder that, not surprisingly, did not deter the man's rant at all. Harry let his head fall against the cool car window with a dull _thunk_ and watched dazedly as billboards and buildings passed by in a gray blur. He didn't want to think, he didn't want to feel. All he wanted was to go home where he could be in the company of friends and loved ones, and he certainly wouldn't find that at 4 Privet Drive.

-0-0-0-

"Mum? Mum, where's the bloodrose? I just can't find it anywhere and I _need_ it for this potion." Arianna Niall, a slight girl with wavy brown hair, stood precariously on a wooden stool in a steam-filled kitchen, pushing the upper cupboards' bottles and vials aside in her feverish search for her last ingredient. "Mum!" she called again.

"Yes, dear, you'll have to fetch it yourself from the garden; I haven't got any of the powder left, you used the last of my stores last week." Mrs. Niall appeared in the doorway, testily brandishing a dripping wooden spoon. Arianna nodded, leapt off the stepping stool, and burst out into the garden without another moment's hesitation. "And you be careful with that, dear, it's extremely...Bah! And there she goes again! I honestly don't know why I bother, she never listens."

"Of course she does." A middle-aged man suddenly whispered in her ear, slipping his arms over her shoulders. "She just doesn't know it yet."

"Oh! You scared me, Seth. What are you doing home so early? Good day in the office?" There was only a hint of sarcasm in her words as she turned to embrace her husband.

"Nah, same as usual; left O'Connery with the paperwork on this one though." said Mr. Niall with a slight smirk.

"Ah, I thought I sensed a little trickery about you. Come help me with this solution I'm making, your aura will do wonders--"

"Melinda, no." he sighed, "You know I don't want to get involved in any of that." Only one who knew him well would be able to see the broiling emotions underneath, including Mrs. Niall though she chose to ignore it.

"But dear, you're in the perfect mood. I don't doubt the magick will sing for you." she insisted, a sly smile playing about her lips.

Mr. Niall sighed, gathering his patience. _"Linda..."_

**BOOM!**

The windows shattered and the house rattled as plumes of brilliant white fire burst in through the glass and tore down a large section of the wall, throwing the pair off their feet and onto the living room floor. The blast still ringing in their ears, Mr. and Mrs. Niall got slowly to their feet and gazed around at the wreckage. A quick glance confirmed each other's well being, and then --

"Arianna!" Mr. Niall screamed, "Arianna! Where is she?! Was she outside?" he demanded, turning towards his wife.

"The bloodrose!" Mrs. Niall whispered shakily. "She went out into the garden to get the bloodrose. I _told_ her to be careful with it! I've warned her countless times!" But Mr. Niall wasn't listening, already racing through the destroyed kitchen towards the back door.

"I warned her..." Mrs. Niall trembled and fell to her knees, words trailing off as panic consumed her.

-0-0-0-

Harry slammed the car door shut and received a warning glare from his uncle. He was already frozen to the bone, shivering even with his hood pulled up and his conventional jacket pulled tight around his shoulders. He hefted the overlarge trunk out of the boot of the car and tucked Hedwig's cage under his arm, struggling up the driveway towards the relative warmth and comfort of his least favorite house. Uncle Vernon fumbled with the keys for a moment before throwing the door wide and stepping over the threshold.

"Give me that!" Uncle Vernon snarled as soon as the front door closed behind them. He then snatched the trunk viciously from Harry's numb fingers and shoved it into the cupboard under the stairs. Harry didn't protest; it wasn't like he needed anything inside it anymore.

"Up to your room, boy, "Vernon called after him, unnecessarily as Harry was already tromping up the stairs. "And you'll be starting your chores up again tomorrow. I will _not _have you lazing about this house all day now that you're back."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry sighed exasperatedly before closing his bedroom door behind him with a smart _snick_. He gently sat Hedwig's cage on the rickety desk and looked around the dim, bare room. His breath hitched in his throat as the finality of his situation really sunk in, the past twenty-four hours whipping by behind his eyes. Only a day ago, he would have been sitting in class with Ron and Hermione, planning another DA meeting, everything perfectly normal. Well, normal for him. That word held an entirely different amount of sway at Privet Drive.

How was he supposed to live like this? so far from the world of magic and adventure that he had come to love, without even his wand and his training to defend himself with if the Death Eaters or Voldemort came calling. In that moment, his situation felt so ridiculously hopeless that he was thinking longingly of Snape and the dungeons, if only he didn't have to stay _here._

His legs folded beneath him and he buried his face in his hands, allowing his misery to consume him where he sat, tears slipping past his eyes for the first time in a very long while. There was no going back. His wand had been taken from him back in Dumbledore's office and nobody, not even his exiled headmaster, would be able to get it back for him.

_Sirius! _he thought desperately, _Sirius said I could go and live with him if I was expelled. _Clinging to that thought, he snatched a piece of paper and an ordinary ballpoint pen and he began to write:

_Snuffles,_

_You've probably already heard that I've been expelled and that Dumbledore's been forced to leave the school because of the DA. I was wondering, if you still wanted me, if I could come and stay with you at headquarters like you said last summer. I don't know what to do now without my wand, and the Dursleys full time is something I am not looking forward to._

_Hopefully I'll see you soon,_

_Harry_

"Here you go, Hedwig," he whispered, tying the little note around her leg. "Come back soon, okay?" She nipped his finger affectionately, then took off into the rain, leaving Harry feeling truly alone for the first time since last summer.

-0-0-0-

"Arianna! _ARIANNA!" _Mr. Niall tore through the backyard, searching frantically for his daughter. There, on the ground a few meters away, was a feebly stirring dark mass. "Oh, thank Merlin!" he muttered distractedly as he came to kneel beside the girl.

He turned her over gently and couldn't help but gasp as he stared at the large black and red burn marks littering her face and hands. "Come on, _come on!" _he hissed.

"Seth, did you find her? Is she alright?" Mrs. Niall came stumbling through the debris and stopped a couple feet behind him. "Well? Is she?"

"She's still breathing if that's what you mean!" Mr. Niall snapped. He brushed a stray hair from Arianna's brow and prepared to scoop her up off the ground, knowing that they couldn't stay much longer. The sound of wailing sirens could be heard in the distance.

"This is _why, _Goddamnit! This is _why_ I don't approve of your practices! If Arianna just went to a regular wizarding school like any other witch, we wouldn't be here right now!"

"Seth, calm down. The muggles are coming; we have to get out of here!" Mrs. Niall cried, glancing frantically towards the road.

"You think I don't know that?" There was a pause as husband and wife glowered angrily at each other, and then -- "Go, gather you and Arianna's things. I'll take her and hide in the woods, see if I can't wake her up. I'll meet you in London at the Leaky Cauldron in two days. Good luck, Melinda." With that, Seth Niall turned away and ran towards the trees just beyond the garden, seeking shelter from a world that he wished, not for the first time, that he coudl really be a part of.

Dew from the earlier rain dripped lazily from the leaves around him as he darted, panting heavily, through the tangle of underbrush. He grunted and cursed as Arianna started to slip from his grasp, adjusting his grip on her so that her head rested against his shoulder, her misted breath visible in the biting cold air.

Deep down, he knew that occasionally there were accidents at Hogwarts or any other magical school for that matter -- it was inevitable -- but certainly never so dangerous or as often as Arianna's experience. Fervently, he wished that this was the first time that Arianna had been injured by Melinda's dabbling experiments in the old magick, but nothing could change the fact that it _wasn't, _and that he wouldn't be able to protect her when it happened again.

Seth came to a stop a good distance away from the wards they had erected around the house and glanced nervously around the shadowy landscape. Seeing that they were indeed alone, he pulled out his wand and focused on the weightless feeling that existed somewhere near his magical core. With a sharp _crack_, he disapparated with his daughter's limp body in tow, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt that swelled inside him every time he ran away. _This is the last straw_, he thought passionately.

And when he winked into existence miles away, he swore that he would do everything in his power to ensure Arianna was never hurt like this again, by Melinda's own hand or otherwise.

* * *

A/N: Well, there it is. Some excitement, some angst, and an explosion. You didn't get any explosions in the other story. *looks around hopefully* Like it, love it or hate it, please leave a review. Ivylei out.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry, thought I posted this earlier. Ch 3 should be hot on its heels though.

Happy reading

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Chapter 2: Alone

The hazy morning light drifted lazily through the bedroom window, pale and filtered through layers of thickcloud cover. Harry himself lay sprawled across the small single bed, thin sheets and blankets hanging over the edge and pooling on the floor as Harry started to stir from his sleep. Not really wanting to wake up yet and still in the hazy state of mind that comes sometime between sleeping and waking, he rolled over and buried his face in the ragged pillow with a sigh, trying to avoid the thoughts that he knew were coming.

It had been three days since Hedwig had taken off with the letter for Siriusand his response had yet to come. Harry knew that he was probably worrying over nothing but he hadn't seen any of the Order members hanging around either, and there was no way they would leave him alone at the current climate. Sure, he hadn't seen anyone last summer either -- until, of course, he had heard Dung disapparate not five yards from himself the day he was attacked by Dementors -- but now that he actually knew they were there, he figured that _someone_ might want to talk to him every now and again.

_I guess not_, he thought bitterly, abandoning sleep as he stood to get dressed and prepare for another day in the Dursley household. Harry started when he heard a sharp rap on the bedroom door and his aunt's shrill voice coming from the hall, slightly muffled. "Get up, boy!" she demanded, "Vernon leaves for work in half an hour and you haven't even started breakfast yet. Up! Now!" She punctuated her last word with another hard rap, turning and padding down the hall, expecting her nephew's immediate obedience.

A violent tantrum from Dudley, Vernon's usual three cups of coffee, and a pound of bacon later, Harry stood wearily in the kitchen, leaning against the once pristine counter and watching Dudley finish eating his meal with mingled fascination and disgust. There was no other sight quite like it. He would only stop sucking in the eggs long enough to engulf a few mouthfuls of bacon or toast, or to slurp down some of his orange juice to wash down a particularly large bite. Through it all, it seemed to Harry that the silverware was more of a hindrance to the boy.

When at last he had finished, Harry went around gathering the dishes from the table and proceeded to dumpthem in the sink so that the soapy water could get a chance to loosen the food from the plate before he had to start scrubbing. Vernon gave Petunia a peck on the cheek, sent Harry one of his usual glares, and stalked out the door. Moments later, the car door slammed shut and Aunt Petunia reentered the kitchen.

"Here's your list for the day," she hissed, brusquely placing the paper on the clean table. "And you won't be getting lunch until you've at least finished the work in the garden."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he droned, turning back to the dishes. Inside the living room, the sounds of the telly clicked on and Aunt Petunia left the kitchen to tend to his whale of a cousin. Admittedly, Dudley had lost a bit of weight since last summer and he had probably gained some muscle from the wrestling, but apparently the diet had ended sometime while he was at school, Aunt Petunia being unable to deprive her son of anything that he wanted over long periods of time. Harry was honestly surprised that it had lasted so long in the first place.

"… yesterday afternoon, an unexplained explosion destroyed a secluded home just outside of Liverpool. The homeowners, a family of three, are still missing. We bring you live to --" Dudley had obviously switched the channel, unable to stand watching something as informative as the news for too long. An unexplained explosion and the family still missing… it sounded like something Voldemort and his Death Eaters might have done. Perhaps they were on the move at last and the Ministry would realize their mistake and give him back his…

_Shut up! Don't even think about that!_ he scolded himself. _Just focus on what you're d__oing, don't think about it, not any of it... _The mundane and repetitive task filled his senses and his thoughts as he forced down anything more meaningful. Funny how thinking about his friends used to be the only thing keeping him sane throughout the summer, whereas now, all that did was bring pain. It was official: life at the Dursleys had never been worse.

-0-0-0-

"We now bring you live to the site of destruction. Emily, how are things looking over there?" The screen switched from an image of the studio to that of a middle-aged woman wearing heavy makeup, standing before a small, half collapsed house out in the woods, smoke still risingin lazy wisps and bellows from smoldering ruins.

"Thank you, Tom. Now, as you can see, the explosion happened at the back of the house out in the yard, taking out the kitchen and part of the second story. As far as we can tell, there have been no injuries though no members of the family have been seen since yesterday morning. The father, a Mr. Seth Niall, was seen at work earlier that day but neither he, nor his wife or daughter have been seen since. Back to you, Tom."

"Thank you, Emily. Coming up, we have…" _click!_ Arianna turned away from the dark screen and glanced out the windows at the still cloudy sky. She had woken up a couple of hours ago in the small hotel room with a heavy cream pasted over half of her face, her hands, and up her arms but no burns or bruises in sight. Her father had left a note on the bedside table saying that he would be back in a couple of hours, not to worry, and that there was plenty of food in the fridge. Not a word about her mother or where she was.

The reasonable part of her mind insisted that they had probably just split up for some reason or another, but she felt on a purely instinctual level that there was something more, that something was really wrong between her parents and she couldn't help but think that it was her fault. She was the one who had gotten herself along with half the house blown up, the one who had forced them to abandon another home, the one who kept proving time and time again through her actions that her father was right about the old magick being too dangerous, thus fueling the age-old argument.

"He better not have left her…" she mumbled to herself, glaring moodily at the floor.

"I haven't." Arianna glanced up and saw her father standing just inside the door, draping his drenched coat over the back of an armchair and shaking drops of water from his short hair.

"Dad, you're home. I didn't hear you." she said quietly. Mr. Niall sighed and sat beside his daughter on the mussed bed.

"I'm sorry for leaving you here like that. I just had to take care of a few things, you know?"

"What kinds of things?" she pressed, digging her fingers into the fabric of the comforter.

"Boring things." he said quickly, not meeting her gaze. "You alright? Not sore or anything are you? I had to make that cream myself and I was really rushed so I don't know if --"

"I'm fine." Silence permeated the room, thick and oppressive, only interrupted by the occasional rustle of their clothes as they shifted nervously, neither of them daring to attempt to tackle the large elephant in the room.

"Er, I'm going to just go and take a shower. You should have something to eat to make sure the potions don't upset your stomach." Mr. Niall mumbled at last, making to stand and head for the small bathroom. Arianna felt tears pricking her eyes and quickly rubbed them away, embarrassed. What had she done?

The sound of running water could suddenly be heard from the bathroom, and Arianna knew that her father wouldn't be able to hear her. "Mom?" she whispered desperately, "Mom, I --" A small, dry sob escaped her throat, the terrible guilt like a physical pain, twisting in her belly and forcing her breath to come in short bursts. Their family was falling apart and it was _all her fault!_ "I'm-I'm so sorry!" She buried her face in her hands and tried to slow her breathing, like her mother had taught her to do when she was young, using the meditative, healing nature of the old magick to soothe and calm the body and mind. Not long after, she fell into a deep sleep that was, for once, not filled with dreams.

-0-0-0-

"Potter! Boy, snap out of it! Are you even listening to me?" Aunt Petunia snapped furiously from behind him. Harry blinked and turned, letting the gardening hose drop to the ground from nerveless fingers.

"I'm listening," he mumbled a little sheepishly. He hadn't meant to drift off like that; he could barely recall the day's events, slipping in and out of his little fog constantly as he went through his chores so that, by the time Petunia approached him in the garden, he had a sickly, dazed look about him. "Sorry..."

Aunt Petunia rolled her eyes. "Don't bother being sorry about it, foolish boy. Just get in there and do it." At Harry's confused look Petunia narrowed her eyes angrily and hissed, "Dinner, boy! You are to help me prepare the dinner."

"Right, I'll just..." Harry leaned down and scooped up the leaking hose, coiling it around his arm as he went to put it away. Petunia sniffed in something that might have been approval or disdain and flounced back into the house and Harry was left alone for a few precious minutes before –

_Crack! _"Wotcher, Harry." said a female voice that Harry recognized from previous stays with the order. Tonks, short hair an unusual shade of purple today, walked calmly out from behind the shed, motioning for Harry to join her.

"Tonks!" he breathed, a brief sense of relief flooding him. "So when can I get out of here? Do you know?"

The metamorphmagus' expression fell. "I'm sorry, Harry. Dumbledore says you're going to be stuck here for a while."

"A while being, what, a couple of weeks, months?"

"We'll see. You're safest here, what with the blood wards around the house." Tonks shifted her feet unhappily.

"Obviously not, considering what happened last summer, you know, when a couple of dementors came down the street." said Harry. A moment later, he felt guilty, knowing that it wasn't really Tonks's fault that he would have to live with the Dursleys'. If anyone's, it was his for starting the DA in the first place. In a slightly more agreeable tone, Harry continued, "So I'm going to have to stay here... indefinitely?"

"I'm afraid so, kiddo. But you know that we're here for you, right? Ron and Hermione were pretty torn up when you left. You should really respond to their letters, let them know you're okay and all..."

"I haven't gotten anything from them, or anyone else for that matter." Harry grumbled. He looked up to see Tonks watching him, brow furrowed in confusion.

"But that's not right. You haven't gotten any of their messages since you've been here?" she asked.

"No, that's what I said." There was a pause as Tonks seemed to ponder this. Eventually she sighed, looking around at the darkening landscape.

"Well, I dunno what to tell you, Harry. Maybe the weather's bad or something. Don't think too much of it." Harry nodded. "I'm sorry, Harry, but the Order'll have my head if I'm not back. It was nice talking to you." a moment later, she spun on her heel and disappeared with a _pop,_ leaving the night feeling cold and empty_._

"Yeah. See you around, Tonks." Harry muttered dejectedly after her. Then he remembered that he was supposed to be assisting his aunt in the kitchen and so hurried back towards the bright warmth of the house. Petunia said nothing of his tardiness, opting instead to set him straight to work rather than waste any of her precious time lecturing the hopeless boy on his abysmal manners.

Throughout dinner, Uncle Vernon lectured Harry about his poor work ethic and generally ungrateful attitude towards himself and Harry's aunt, throwing in the occasional insult or threat and reddening in the face if Harry ever opened his mouth to talk back – all in all, what would pass for a usual evening with the family. A half-hour later, up in his bedroom, Harry was relieved to see Hedwig standing lazily on his small bed with a small note attached to her leg.

_Harry,_

_I'm sorry to say that, no, you cannot stay with me at the moment. Dumbledore insists that you stay with your relatives for__ a while longer in order to "replenish the blood wards" and keep you safe __from any attacks Voldemort has planned. With so many of the Order as busy as they are, it would be difficult and too dangerous to remove you from your family's care, at least for now__ that is. I promise that we will get you out of there as soon as possible. We'll figure this out together, don't worry. Just sit tight for a little longer and it'll all work out in the end._

_About your wand, the Order is unwilling to allow you to remain wi__thout it. Seeing as your expulsion is not yet finalized, your wand is still floating around the Ministry somewhere and there is a plan to retrieve it and replace it with one of Fred and George's duplicates. Obviously, this is going to be a lot more complic__ated than it sounds and I'm not about to bore you with the details, but rest assured that we _will_ get your wand back to you – It's just a matter of time, really._

_I know that this is hard and that it's probably going to continue being hard for a while, but__ it will all turn out okay. Take care of yourself and don't let the Muggles keep you down._

_Sirius_

Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief and allowed his head to fall back against the wall behind his bed**,** a genuine smile spreading across his face for the first time in over a week. There was still a chance, still some hope left.

* * *

A/N: So there it is. You see that pretty button down there? Yeah, you should click on it and tell me what you think in a review.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, here I am for another chapter. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far and have stuck with this story so far. I know my updates have been kind of sporadic but I guess that's just the way the muse works sometimes. Hope you enjoy this one!

Disclaimer: Since I forgot the disclaimer on Chapter 2, this is a double disclaimer. I don't own anything or anyone you recognize. All I own is the family of OC's.

* * *

Chapter 3: When In London

Tom, the aged innkeeper at the Leaky Cauldron, sighed wearily as he stood behind the bar, wiping down the stained countertop one last time before he decided to turn in. There was just one customer left, a woman sitting alone at a table in the far corner, nothing to eat or drink before her, just… sitting. Tom frowned; the clock above the Floo Network fireplace read a little past one o'clock in the morning.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but the Leaky Cauldron has got to close for the night. I can getcha a room if you'd like." said Tom.

"Oh. No, I'm -- I mean… yes, if you would please. Yes." she muttered distractedly, gathering up the worn bag at her feet.

"Just you then, dear?" he asked.

"Yes, I suppose it's just me." The woman sounded terribly sad as she said it. Must've been left waiting by some bloke.

"Name?"

She hesitated for just a fraction of a second before answering, "Lissa, it's Lissa Tyler." Tom scribbled the name down on the ancient ledger and fumbled beneath the counter for the room key.

"That'll be 8 Galleons, miss." The woman -- Lissa -- dropped the appropriated amount on the counter. "Alright then, Room 13's all yours. Get some rest, Miss Tyler, you look like you need it."

Lissa gave him a wan smile and collected the little silver key with a nod before turning towards the rickety old staircase that led up to the other guests' sleeping quarters. Her room was, as expected, worn down with a thin layer of dust covering every surface. She really should have just gone somewhere else once it became apparent that they weren't going to show.

Three days. Three days, she had been forced to wait here every evening, and still her husband and daughter had yet to turn up. When they eventually did (because they _would_), she'd have to remember to warn them about their new name, Tyler.

Melinda Niall stepped into the darkened bathroom and started to undress. It had been far too long since she'd had the luxury of a real bath, and she intended to fully take advantage of the opportunity presented here.

She slipped carefully into the warm water and leaned back with a contented sigh. Tomorrow, she'd have to head over to Surrey with or without her family. Of course the whole thing would be infinitely easier if she had at least Arianna with her, seeing as the girl was in the same age group as her intended prey and would find it much easier to draw him in. It really wasn't very often a child was expelled from one of those wizard schools, and such a famous boy, if he had talent, could only be an asset to her goals.

The steam drifted up around her in a sparse little cloud, until the water started to cool and Melinda began what had once been a daily ritual, picking up the scratchy washcloth and a smelly bar of soap.

She would have her dear daughter back and soon; she had spent far too much time training Arianna to give up on her now, regardless of her husband's wishes. Melinda only wished that Seth had still been pure by the time she'd found him. Wishing of course, would accomplish nothing, but one could dream. She knew where Seth had gone off to this morning, knew just how thoroughly he had just betrayed her, despite how secretive and inconspicuous he may have thought he'd been. There was no going back now, for him.

-0-0-0-

"Dad, why is _he _coming?"

Dudley Dursley, besides the small addition of a little more muscle mass, had not changed much in the five years it had been since Harry last had to endure one of his birthdays. Vernon glared at Harry from the front seat, twisting around absurdly so that his bulk hovered over the air between them, as if it was Harry's fault he was here, tainting the air his fat cousin breathed on this, his special day.

"Don't worry, Duddy dear," Petunia cooed, "we won't let him ruin your birthdayparty_ again_. You'll hardly even know he's there, won't he, boy?" she added, turning to Harry with a nasty look in her beady eyes. Harry shrugged and turned back to the window, expecting this day to be nothing less than a long, dull, and tiring ordeal, at least for him.

When he was younger, Dudley's birthdays had always been the worst part of living with his relatives; The stark contrast between their treatment of Dudley and Harry on normal days was already enough to convey the Durlseys' message of hatred for him loud and clear, but when he was little and still maintained that childish optimism, he couldn't help but harbor a little hope that on his birthday, when everyone else was given special treatment, he would get a small share of it himself. The Dursleys had proven him wrong year after year, stuffing candy and ice cream down Dudley's thick gullet and treating Harry with an extra dose of bitterness. Coat hangers, old socks, and icy frowns of disapproval -- yeah, he got the idea alright.

"It's not like I asked to be here, you know." he mumbled, too quiet for his relatives to hear. Dudley had started shouting and cursing at his mother, making his old tantrums seem a hell of a lot more innocent than they were now, causing Aunt Petunia to burst into helpless tears. Uncle Vernon was surprisingly quiet in the drivers seat and, glancing in the rearview mirror, Harry certainly didn't like the new, malicious light he saw in Vernon's reflected eyes. Harry doubted that that look meant anything good for him, but there really was not much he could do but wait for the axe to fall, so he settled in his seat and said nothing.

As they approached their destination, London, Uncle Vernon became more and more restless, shifting nervously in his seat, untrusting eyes flicking constantly from Harry's reflection in the rearview mirror to the black road throughout the entire drive. Harry was disgusted and a little surprised to watch growing sweat stains accumulate on Vernon's expensive new shirt.

Once inside the city, Harry noticed the subtle change in direction. For Dudley's birthday, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were planning to take their son to meet one of his friends at a movie theatre. Perhaps it was just coincidence that they seemed to be following the route to Kings Cross station and Vernon would eventually turn or simply stop before they reached it. But when Harry's uncle pulled up outside of the bustling train station, unlocked the doors, and turned around in his seat to glare at Harry with an air of triumph about his large form, Harry knew that it had definitely not been coincidence.

"Get out." said Uncle Vernon simply. Harry gaped.

"No. I'm not supposed to --"

"Are you daft, boy?" Uncle Vernon demanded, "You're not _wanted_ here, never have been, and never will be. You've always taken advantage of our good charity as if you deserved nothing less, you little runt, and I've had enough!" Vernon was working himself up now, spittle flying from his wide mouth as he gesticulated angrily with a fat fist.

"Vernon," Petunia cautioned, placing a tentative hand on her husband's shoulder, "Vernon, they'll know…"

"I don't care. I've had enough! Did they ever bother to _ask _if we wanted to take the boy in, hmm? Did they not wonder if we would be able to afford the boy, the clothes we put on his back, the food we provide for his ungrateful, lying mouth? No! They never did, did they?" Aunt Petunia pursed her lips worriedly but subsided, leaning back in her seat and looking away from the scene playing out beside her. Harry would not give in so easily.

"I can't leave! Dumbledore said --" but his protests were cut short as his uncle lost all composure and bellowed in his nephew's face, "I don't _care _what some doddering old fool said! Barking mad, the whole lot of you! Now, you better get your sorry arse out of this car before I _throw_ you out!"

"But I don't even have any of my things!" Uncle Vernon unbuckled his seat belt and violently threw open the car door, losing all patience. Harry scrambled away as Uncle Vernon wrenched the door open and lunged for Harry's arm, gripping him painfully hard, before angrily tearing the boy from his seat. Harry landed sprawling on the unforgiving pavement and watched stunned as his uncle got back inside the car and took off without a backward glance.

-0-0-0-

"Arianna, you have to get up." Seth said as he gently shook his daughter's thin shoulder. Arianna barely stirred.

"Mmm… go 'way…" she grumbled, eyes squeezed tight against the morning sunlight. "Don't want to,"

"Well fine, if you don't want to come with me to see your mother, then you don't have to. I'll just go by myself and leave you here. No sweat off my back."

"What?" Arianna was instantly wide awake, already scrambling to get out of the hotel bed and find her shoes.

Seth chuckled good naturedly but the smile couldn't seem to reach his hardened eyes as he lifted the worn sneakers from his daughter's grasp.

"We're not leaving yet, we still have to pack. We'll be meeting her at the Leaky Cauldron, a famous wizard's pub in London."

"But I thought we were supposed to stay away from wand-users, me and Mum at least."

Seth shrugged. "That's the meeting place and your mother agreed to it, so I guess for now the rule's been terminated."

"If you say so." said Arianna with a roll of her eyes. "So when are we going to meet Mum?"

"There's really no set time. We didn't actually get much of a chance to agree on any specifics before we left, so…" he trailed off uncomfortably at the guilt he saw spreading quickly across Arianna's features. "Ehem -- so we're just going have to wing it and wait for her to show up, I suppose."

"Okay…" Arianna mumbled dejectedly. She stood stiffly to gather the few belongings her father had brought for her during their brief stay at the motel and began stuffing them methodically into her simple rucksack. Seth sighed. The next few weeks were undoubtedly going to be extremely hard on Arianna, no matter how strong she wanted to appear. He wondered whether she would ever be able to stop blaming herself for the events he knew were sure to come.

"Are you sure she'll be here?"

Arianna wrinkled her nose as she gazed around the smoky pub and its strange customers, before she warily followed her father across the room, in the general direction of the bar.

"Am I even allowed to --?"

"Arianna!" The girl heard the shout and whipped around; Melinda stood at the top of the staircase with a large bag hanging on her shoulder and waved towards her daughter, a brilliant smile lighting up her features. Immediately, she made her way down into the pub and enveloped Arianna in a tight embrace. "Seth! I was starting to worry that you wouldn't come at all! Where were you all this time?"

"Got me and Arianna checked into a motel a couple of miles away. I had to heal the burns, set up a new account at Gringotts -- you know, the usual."

Melinda's eyes were warm as she leaned in and gave her husband a light peck on the cheek, leaving a wet, red set of lips at the point of contact; her joy, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be purely genuine, but there was a new darkness about her that Arianna could sense: anger.

She said nothing of it though, and slipped patiently into the background while her parents discussed the new arrangements.

"And I found this lovely house over in Surrey that has plenty of room for us and is in a nice little neighborhood. I was actually about to head over there when I saw you." Melinda waved her hand idly and her voice took on a more assertive tone. "I've already told the owners that we'll take it. We move in this afternoon."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "That's a little sudden, even for you Me-"

"-Lissa." she coughed discreetly.

"Right -- Melissa. Don't you think we should discuss it?" questioned Seth.

"Not unless you want to spend another couple of weeks -- months even -- waiting around in some run-down motel on the edge of town. We need a proper place to stay and we need to get Arianna enrolled in school again." said Melinda decisively. She crossed her arms and let herself fall back until she was leaning against the wall, sending out a silent dare -- or warning.

Seth sighed, "Another one?" They both knew that he was no longer talking about the house. Melinda grinned.

"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

-0-0-0-

The sun got lower and lower in the sky as Harry made his way through the crowd milling about on the sidewalks, moodily glaring into shop windows and contemplating his near future. One of four different scenarios could happen: the first being that, by some miracle, the Dursleys showed up to take him back, and this whole thing would be forgotten by the time they got home; Someone from the Order might come to get him and either leave him at his aunt and uncle's or take him to Grimmauld Place with Sirius; Death Eaters could show up and take him to Voldemort to await a painful death; or he could just be left here, wandering the streets and eventually get picked up by the police.

At the moment though, he was alone in Muggle London and at a complete loss as to what he should do, what would be an acceptable response to such a situation. His family had abandoned him. They had left him here to live or die on his own, not caring that he was their nephew and that they had lived with each other for the past fifteen years. There really was not much that he _could _do.

And so he walked on without a purpose or a destination until the light faded to darkness and he was forced to rest at an old bus stop. No one glanced twice at him, not the lingering pedestrians that were on their way home nor the police cruiser that sped by at about nine o'clock. What does one do when no one cares what you do?

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope you liked it. And what do you know? There were some actual hints at a _plot _here!

You know the drill: please review, it might inspire me to update sooner. What? No! I'm not trying to _bribe _you or anything. ;D


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